Parallels have been made between Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas over the last couple of days because A) they were teammates just a season ago and B) Rask’s statistics are remarkably similar to Thomas’ numbers at this point in Boston’s Stanley Cup run two years ago.

But that’s really where comparison ends.

The 9-4-1 record, the .933 save percentage and the 2.06 goals against average for Rask 13 games into his playoff run dovetailed nicely with his first shutout of the playoffs in Boston's 3-0 win over the Penguins on Saturday night. But that performance wasn’t making any Bruins immediately jump into the “way back machine” to think about Thomas’ Conn Smythe run two years ago.

Rask has been unbelievable, but it’s not quite fair to compare him with Thomas, who put up arguably the greatest individual regular season and postseason campaign that any goaltender has ever enjoyed back in 2011.

(There are rumblings from Thomas' agent that the 39-year-old goaltender is contemplating a return to the ice next season, whether in the NHL or in Europe, which would probably require Thomas to rediscover his in-game conditioning level. The Islanders traded for Thomas’ rights this season and have the right to toll his contract to 2013-14 because he did not report this season.)

“You guys just love comparing those two, don’t you? That guy has been retired for a year now,” Shawn Thornton said of Thomas. “Let’s let Tuukka be his own man. He’s a very calming influence for us back there. He’s always in the right spot at the right time for us. He makes big saves, and he’s consistent.